Constantini and Mosaner hail YOG experience after curling gold
Italian curlers Stefania Constantini and Amos Mosaner paid tribute to their experiences at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) after claiming mixed doubles gold at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Curling
Amos Mosaner was on cloud nine after taking mixed doubles curling gold at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Mosaner competed at the Winter YOG Innsbruck 2012, winning a silver medal, and was delighted to go one better in Beijing’s famed ‘Ice Cube’ venue, following an 8-5 victory over Norway in the final.
“I think the Youth Olympic Games is really, really cool; it’s brilliant for young people,” said the 26-year-old. “I won a silver medal in Innsbruck and today a gold medal after ten years is really cool.”
His teammate Stefania Constantini, 22, participated at Lillehammer 2016, and revealed that her time at the YOG was invaluable ahead of making her gold medal-winning Olympic debut in Beijing.
“My experience at the Youth Olympic Games was amazing,” she said. “I think it prepares us well as athletes because it's very similar.”
Mosaner and Constantini’s triumph secured Italy’s first Olympic Winter Games medal in curling, and saw them complete the tournament unbeaten with 11 successive victories, including winning six of their matches by four points or more en route to the final against Norwegians Magnus Nedregotten and Kristin Skaslien.
“We managed to win a gold medal, and this is an incredible thing,” said Mosaner. “But above all, the 11 wins and the zero defeats – this is the biggest and most beautiful thing.”
With Milano Cortina set to host the next Olympic Winter Games in 2026, Constantini revealed that she is now looking forward to trying to defend their Olympic title on home ice and hopes that their Beijing victory will help grow the sport of curling in Italy.
“I think the Olympics at home really only happens one time in your life,” she said. “It will be really special to play there, especially after what we have done today. In Italy, curling is not very known and during this week lots of fans were following us, supporting us and they are starting to be interested in this new sport. I think it will give a lot of impetus to people to take up this sport.
“We've won the gold and it's a dream. I think it's really important for our country because I think curling needs to be more known.”
Mosaner will now compete with Italy in the men’s event in Beijing as part of Joël Retornaz’s rink, beginning with a round-robin tie against Great Britain on Thursday.